Review: Hater by David Moody

Synopsis:
The country is rocked by a sudden, inexplicable increase in violent assaults on individuals. Seeming to be without any reason or motive these attacks are brutal and extreme. There are no apparent links between the aggressors and their victims. Christened 'Haters' by the media, their attacks come without warning or explanation. Everyone - irrespective of age, gender, race, sexuality, culture or any other imaginable difference - has the potential to be a Hater. You can no longer trust anyone, no matter how close they are to you. You can no longer trust yourself.

Danny McCoyne lives with his partner Lizzie and their three children in a rundown council flat. By day he works for the council, processing parking fines. By night he watches TV and complains about how little money he's got and how empty his life is. He knows what he has to do to make things better and he has the intelligence and capability to do it. A bigger home, a better job… it's all within reach. But Danny can't be bothered. His kids don't respect him and his partner despairs.

Danny can't handle pressure. He's no good in a crisis. At the first sign of trouble he shoves his head in the sand and waits for it all to blow over. But this isn't going to go away. The situation is deteriorating by the day, almost by the hour. The danger is getting closer. It won't be long before it reaches them and there's nothing anyone can do to stop it. Their only defence is to lock themselves down, to cut themselves off from everyone else and wait for help. It's what they think they should do. It's what the authorities tell them to do. But Danny and his partner know that as well as locking the trouble out, they may also be locking it in…

Review:
Hater was not at all what I thought it was going to be. I thought it was going to be a zombie book, but it definitely was not. It was more of a post-apocalyptic novel. The book follows Danny, an ordinary guy that is trying to support his family. I found Danny to be just an average guy that was nothing special and kind of lazy.

What I found the most interesting about this book was what made a person a 'Hater.' It is not explained too much, but I think that is because this is a series (I am excited to read the second book, Dog Blood, as soon as I get my hands on it!). I found the whole idea of being a 'Hater' very intriguing because there is no warning when someone becomes a 'Hater.' It just happens. One minute a person is normal, and the next minute they feel threatened and attack without reason.

I love post-apocalyptic type novels, so 'Hater' was definitely a book I liked. I found the whole plot interesting and intriguing. There is definitely a good amount of violence, so I would not recommend to kids. It is definitely an adult book.

Rating: 4/5

Swords are for fighting!